Gasoline bucket



P. MUELLER GASOLINE BUCKET Sept. 4, 1928.

5 Sheets-Sheet Filed Oct. 18, 1924v fg' JJ. fi W9 P. MUELLER GASOLINE BUCKET Sept. 4, 1928.

Filed Oct. 18, 19.24 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Phil/L73' Mueller;

sept, 4, 192s. 1",6s3,571

P. M U ELLER GASOLI NE BUCKET Filed Oct. 18, 1924 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 gvwantoz fang Mw@ Z267;

Sept. 4, 1928. 1,683,571

P. MUELLE-:R

GASOLINE BUCKET Filed oct. 18, 1924 5 Smets-sheet 5 3,2 (o 69 i .70 68 l Patented Sept. 4, 1928.

A UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PHILIP MUELLER, OF DECATUR, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T ADOLPI-I MUELLER, TRUSTEE,

' OF DECATUR, ILLINOIS.

GASOLINE BUCKET.

Application led October 18, 1924. Serial No. 7443514.V

` The present invention relates to containers and is intended more particularly for use in connection with containers for inflammable liquids as for example, gasoline. In machine-shop work, it is customary, during certain operations, to cleanse the work being machined or operated on from time to time and when the operation is completed by dipping it in a liquid which will cut and dissolve the accumulations of oil and dirt incident to the machining or other operations, gasoline being commonly used. For convenience, it is not uncommon to provide, at different points in the shop. buckets or containers of gasoline in which the workmen can dip the articles in process of manufacture.

It is desirable, in fact compulsory in most municipalities, that inflammable liquids of this character be properly safeguarded so as to avoid the danger of fire. and various eX- pedients have been adopted to eliminate the danger ofthe contents of such containers be- Vcomii'ig ignited. f Y

The present invention has for its object to provide a container or bucket which is 'not only of simple and economical construction, but is also so designed that it will be automatically closed in the event of lire in or adjacent the bucket, so that the bucket, during working` hours, may safely remain open and to avoid the necessity of the workmen lifting or removing the cover each time it is deopening and closing of such containers slows down production and hampers the workman to such an extent that where lids or covers have been designed which the worknan would be compelled to open and hold open each time he dipped, and which would automatically close when released, the device hasbeen rendered ineffective by the workmen blocking the lids open so that their automatic closing action was entirely suspended.

IN ith the construction which I have invented provision is made for not only maintaining the lid in a constant open position, except when itis manually released, and the lid is 5f closed during the 'non\vorking hours, but an automatic release and sudden closing of the .bucketv or container takes place immediately lire occurs in or adjacent the bucket, and the fiame iseifectually smothered.

sired to dip and clean work. The constantV In order that the invention may be clearV to those skilled in the art, I have illustrated 1n the accompanying drawings, several physical embodiments thereof but these embodiments are, it will be understood, merely illustrative and in no sense restrictive of the invention as it may be worked out in various mechanical ways other than those here de- 4the right in Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a view in' elevation looking from the left in Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a view substantially on the line v Fig. 7 is a View substantially on the line 7 7 of Fig. 3. n

Fig. 8 is a detail view in front elevation of the string supporting strut carried by the bucket lid. Y

Fig. 9 is an enlarged fragmentary view in section ofthe bucket and the lid.

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of a modified 'form of anchor carriedby the lid for the lid supporting string. j

Fig. 11 is a frontfelevation of another modified form of bucket. I

Fig. 12 isl a side elevation vof the parts shown in Fig. 11.

Fig. 13 is a top plan view of the parts shown in Figs. 11 and 12.

Fig. 14 is a detail, sectionalfview of thelid or cover shown in Figures 11 to 13, and

Fig. 15 illustrates another modification.

Referring to the drawings by numbers,like numbers indicating like parts in the several views, 10 denotes a bucket or container of any suitable construction but'prefe'rably of the construction herein shown lcomprisinga body portion formed in any suitable way as of sheet metal and having, at its upper end, a reinforcing ring 11. which reinforcing ring isvpreferably formed as shownwith a bevel or other suitable configuration 12 which will seat upon a complementary ring or seat'13 which, as shown and preferably, is part of a vseen that when it is desired to remove the ybucket from the holding-ring 13, it is necessary only to disengage the string 29, close the 'lid 23, grasp the bail 16 and lift the bucket,

thus drawing the slotted pintle lugs away from the pintles 22. v

In the form of the invention shown in Figs. 3, 4 and. 5 the construction is similar to that shown in Figs. 1 and 2, just described, except thatthe supporting stand and the foot-treadle for opening` the lid are dispensed withand -it is designed to maintain the lid alwaysin 'open position with the same provision for insuring instantaneous closing in event of fire that is made in connection with the construction shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

In Figs. 3, 4 and 5 the standard 48 rises from a base 49 secured in any suitable manner to the bucket -frame 50, and it is provided at its upper end with an eye 51 in which is secured one end of the string 52, which string passes either through a hole in the lid, as described, orthrough a notch 53 in the edge of the lid passing from the notch over the end of a strut 54 and thence to the eye 55 at the lower side of the lid. This forms a permanent combustible support to maintain the lid always in open position ready to be released when that combustible support 52 is burned ott. The strut 54 has a through opening 54 which actsas a flue in the saine manner as the opening 32a.

`TWhile ignition of the support 29 or 52 would unquestionably occur in event of the contents of the container catching on tire, it

Vmay provide a fuse string 56, shown in dotted lines in Figs. 1 and 3, depending from or being a part ofV the flexible support, which string 56v may fall into the container, as shown, and up which iiame would quickly run to the string to ignite it and release the cover.

The cover 57 will be pivotally mounted on the standard 48 exactly7 as in the construction hereinbetore described, vthat standard 48 being so inclined as that the lid 57 cannot be thrown beyond center, but must remain always in a position inclined from the vertical, as shown in Fig. 3, so th at it will fall to closed position when the string is burned ofi.

lVith an arrangement such as described it will be seen that an automaticvsmothering of flame and complete closure of thevessel will Varticles which they will carry from the niaN chine or bench to the dipping tank without the necessity of laying those articles 'down to open the lid, as the treadle operated mecha-- nism enables them, by stepping upon the foot lever, to open the lid, dipthe articles land then the dipping bucket will be automatically closed when the treadle is released. During dipping and maintenance of the lid in open position by the foot-treadle and connect-ions described a complete safeguard against fire is, nevertheless, continued, for even if the workman should not release his treadle any flame at the bucket will'causethe automatic and instantaneous release ot the lid. y

Instead of connecting the inner end of the combustible support with an eye formed on a lug extending downwardr from the inner :tace ot the bucket cover as before described, this connection may be such asl shown in detail in Fig. 10. That is, the lug 35l may yhave a socket 60 formed in one face thereof and provided with a relatively narrow throat through which the supporting` string'passes, the string being provided at its inner end with a knot or enlarged portion that lies within the socket.

l In Figs. 11 to 14 there is illustrated another slightly different form of the invention. ln this embodiment the cover 23 is not pivotally mounted, but is so supported that'it can be moved vertically to and from its closed position. The support 'for the bucket is shown the same as in'Figs. 1 to 3. the flexible 'supvport 29 extending from the lever 36 over guide pulleys 69, 70, mounted on an upright 202L that rises from the bucket support and is provided at its upper end with a T-shaped head 68.- Guide rods 6l' connect the laterally extending arms'oit this T-shaped head with Ythe bucket support and the cover isrprovided `with ears 66 which engage said rods. It will Vb'e seen that downward movement oif the lever cover a weight 78 which is adapted to be supposition. By lifting the weight from the support 81 and placing it on the lower support 82 the cover will be swung into the open position shown in the drawing. @i1 course, with this i'orm whenever the combustible section ot the supporting means beneath the cover is ignited the cover will automatically 'tall to its closed position as previously described.

Such variations from the constructions here shown as involve simply mechanical skill may, of course, be made without departing from the range ot my invention.

For example, a wire containing a readily fusible section or link might be substituted for the string as the combustible means tor maintaining the bucket closure in open position.

I claim:

l. The combination of a container, a clo sure therefor, means to maintain the closure in open position including a member extending through an opening in the closure where by it will not be positioned between the closure and the edge otl the opening;- controlled thereby when the closure is operative, said member including a combustible section extending over a portion of the inner 'tace of the closure, for the purpose described.

2. rihe combination of a container Afor inflammable material, a closure therefore, and manually ope able means permitting movement of said closure to and from the mouth oi the container, said means including a combustible section extending transversely of the lower lace ot the body ot' the closure, and entirely within the marginal edge of the closure whereby it will not be engaged between the container and closure when the latter is closed.

3. The combination of a container for inflammable material, a pivotally mounted closure tor the mouth of the container, having an inwardly projecting lug on its under tace, means 'for Amaintaining the closure in open position comprising a member attached at one end to said lug and extending outward through the body of the closure, said means including a combustible section which is beneath the closure when the latter is closed, and means it'or holding said combustible section out oit contact with the adjacent face of the closure.

Li. The combination of a container, a closure therefor, means to maintain the closure in open position including a combustible member extending across at least a portion of the under side of said closure, and a strut projecting from the under side ot said closure across which the combustible member passes, and by which said member is held away trom the closure.

5. The combination ot a container, a closure therefor, means to maintain the closure in open position including a combustible member extending across at least a portion ot the under side of the closure, and a strut projecting from the underside ot' the closure across which the combustible member passes, and by which said 4member is held away trom the closure, said strut having an opening or passage extending through it in the direction of the length ot the combustible member.

G. 'lhe combination ot a suitable support having a standard jnojectingl therefrom, a container mounted on said support, a closure tor .said container, a strut projecting trom said closure and engaging said standard to limit the opening movement of said closure to less than a vertical posit-ion, means to maintain the closure in open position includi ing a combustible member traversing the under side oit said closure, and a strut projecting from the under side ot said closure te posi tion said combustible member away Afrom the surta ce of said closure.

7. The combination oiZ a support having a vertical standard rising therefrom, an open container mounted in said support, a closure for said container pivoted on said support,

means for limiting the opening movement of said closiue to less than a vertical posit-ion, and means including a combustible section arranged between the closure and body ot the container Ytor maintaining said closure in open position.

El. The combination of a support having a vertical standard rising therefrom, an open container -mounted in said support, a closure removably and pivotally mounted on said support, means for limiting` the opening movement of said closure to less than a vertical position, and means including a combustible section arranged between the closure and'body ot the container for maintaining said closure in open position.

9. The combination ot a support having a beveled seat at its upper edge, a container having a beveied section adapted to engage the beveled seat on said support, a closure for said container, and combustible means positioned above said open container' and between it and the closure to maintain said closure in open position.

l0. The combination of a container, a closure therefor, means to maintain the closure in open position including a conibustible men'iber positioned over the under side of said i closure, and a fuse member depending from said combustible means into the container.

ln testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

PHILIP MUELLER. 

